Austin, Monitored: Trail detours, bus rebounds and other updates

Lady Bird Lake trail will detour during I-35 construction, but the details remain unclear

From Nathan Bernier, KUT News:

The 10-mile-long Butler Trail, used by an estimated 5 million people per year, will continue to run beneath the interstate while the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) tears down and rebuilds the I-35 bridges that cross Lady Bird Lake.

But the path will be reconfigured until construction is scheduled to end in 2033. It’s unclear how the trail will navigate the worksite and heavy equipment under the highway or how wide it will be.

During more complex phases of demolition and building, the popular pathway could be completely closed at I-35 for up to five days at a time.

CapMetro shares ridership numbers, touts continued post-pandemic rally

From Miles Wall:

CapMetro, like virtually every other transit agency in the United States, saw its ridership numbers plummet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those numbers have improved across the country. Sharmila Mukherjee, an executive vice president at CapMetro, presented the findings of the report to CapMetro’s Board of Directors on July 28, noting that the recovery in Austin has outpaced other comparable metros by about 9 percent.

Overall, while ridership is still down about 20 percent from the 2019 pre-pandemic high, it’s up about 42 percent from the 2021 nadir, at least as of when those numbers were most recently reported in 2023.

“It’s a strong story that continues to be told, and we are closely monitoring to see if it holds true in the future,” Mukherjee said.

From our newsroom

Last week we updated you on how we’re building a new newsroom to better serve Austin. And, while we’re still formulating an editorial strategy for that new newsroom – a strategy that the new newsroom’s editor-in-chief will be sharing – we do want to give you a “sneak peek” at what we’ve been thinking about in terms of our focus.

So much of what we’re hearing is around the impact of growth. That includes things like how Austin’s growth has affected the cost of living, from housing to food to other staples. 

Another topic we’ve heard feedback about is the future of education and job training in the city. And we’ve also started contemplating the best ways to combat the rampant spread of misinformation on social media and in our city.

At the moment, we’re thinking about various ways to address these priorities in our new newsroom, and we want to hear from you. Shoot us a note at info@austinmonitor.com if you have ideas now, and be ready to complete a survey we’ll be sharing in the coming weeks. Your input will help ensure we’re covering what matters most to Austin.

No good news on sales taxes for Austin

Texas Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced this week that he has distributed $1.3 billion in monthly sales tax revenue to local governments for sales made in June by businesses that report tax collections monthly and for April, May and June for businesses that report on a quarterly basis.  

Although sales tax collections for the state were reported to be up 4.33 percent so far this year, Austin’s sales tax collections were down 1.34 percent. That was not a surprise to Austin’s numbers crunchers, who have told Council about falling sales tax collections throughout the year so far. According to the Comptroller, Austin has received $234,317,437.66 this year. Last year, the city had received $237,514,035.49 at this time.

On the other hand, Round Rock’s sales tax collections were up 1.59 percent for the quarter and more than 11 percent for the year. Dallas’ sales tax collections were down 3.11 percent for the quarter but up 2.22 percent for the year overall. San Antonio saw a 2.91 percent increase in sales tax revenue for the quarter and a 1.97 percent increase for the year. Houston fared better than other large cities in the state. Sales tax collections were up nearly 10 percent for the quarter and 4.87 percent overall so far this year.

— Jo Clifton

Member of RMC signs up to run as Republican candidate for Congress

A member of the Resource Management Commission, Ge’Nell Gary, has filed paperwork to run for the District 37 congressional seat currently held by longtime Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett. Gary, whose website was not operating on Thursday, proclaimed on X: “former Albany, CA Mayor, brings proven leadership to TX-37. A conservative Republican, standing for YOU! Bringing Unity to Our Communities!!” She told the Austin Monitor she is “a proud Texas native. Guided by strong moral values and a commitment to addressing longstanding issues, I am focused on bringing sound solutions that will move the District forward.” She noted that she is 49 years old. 
According to a federal election website, Gary’s fundraising team is in Inglewood, California.

Doggett won his last race with 74 percent of the vote. He had one Republican opponent and one Independent opponent. As the maps currently stand, Doggett has the only strongly Democratic district in the Austin area. Congressman Greg Casar could choose to run against him or move to another district, though a race between the two could cause considerable angst among Democrats.

— Jo Clifton

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Elsewhere in the News

A grant to help fund caps and stitches over the expanding I35 has been cut along with other federal funding.

Our friend Amy Smith writes about the proposal to shutter Recycled Reads for the Chronicle.

The Chronicle also takes a look at how climate change is impacting the region when it comes to water.

The Austin Business Journal documents the boom to Austin’s east.

Congressman Greg Casar is looking for answers about ICE arrests.

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